4th Iowa Infantry History - Page 8

The regiment was among those which, immediately after the capitulation of Pemberton, moved out to join General Sherman in the second movement against Jackson; this move resulted in the recapture of that capital in less than a fortnight from the surrender of Vicksburg, and compelled Johnston to evacuate the entire state. In the pursuit of Johnston's army the regiment went as far as Brandon, where there was a brisk combat with the rebel rear guard. Destroying the railway there, the command returned to Jackson, did its part in the wholesale destruction of railways and public property which followed. The encampment of the brigade of which the regiment formed a part, and which brigade was now under command of Colonel Williamson, was not very far from the railroad bridge over Big Black River, fourteen miles in rear of Vicksburg, where it remained from July 29, 1863, until September 22, 1863 being engaged in a sever skirmish at Coldwater, Mississippi, on August 21 and another sever skirmish at Baldwyn’s Ferry, Mississippi, on the Big Black River, on September 11, during which one enlisted men was killed and three enlisted men were missing. The men pitched their tents, and remained in camp untill they started on that memorable campaign which resulted in raising the siege of both Chattanooga and Knoxville, in East Tennessee, and the spirits of Unionists all over the land.

Colonel Williamson was now in command of a brigade. The regiment was in Osterhaus' Division in his expedition to Corinth, Iuka, and Cherokee Station, and took part in several engagements. At Cherokee Station on the 21st of October the regiment lost one enlisted men killed and five enlisted men were wounded. It saw action again with the skirmish at Cane Creek, Alabama, the engagement at Little Bear Creek, near Tuscumbia, Alabama, where two enlisted men were wounded, and during a second engagement at Cherokee Station, during which three enlisted men were wounded. It then embarked on steamer and proceeded to Memphis, Tennessee, from which place it began the march ending at Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it arrived November 23, 1863. In the Battle of Lookout Mountain the Fourth was on the extreme left of Hooker's command. When the battle opened, the division moved across an open field to Lookout Creek, where it was "for some time exposed to a severe fire", but finally moved on up the mountain, "where the fight was warm".

The morning of November 24th opened with a cold, drizzeling rain. Thick clouds of mist were settling on Lookout Mountian. At day break Geary’s division, and Whitaker’s brigade of Cruft’s division, marched up to Wauhatchie, the nearest point at which Lookout Creek, swelled by recent rains, could be forded, and at 8 o’clock they crossed. The heavy clouds of mist reaching down the mountian-side hid the movement from the enemy, who was expecting and was well prepared to resitst a crossing at the Chatanooga road below. As soon as the movement was discovered, the enemy withdrew his troops from the summit of the mountian, changed front, and formed a new line to meet our advance, his left resting at the palisade, and his right at the heavy works in the valley, where the road crossed the creek. Having crossed at Wauhatchie, Whitaker’s brigade, being in the advance, drove back the enemy’s pickets, and quickly ascended the mountian untill it reached the foot of the palisade. Here, firmly attaching its right, the brigade moved along the side of the mountian, and through the valley, reaching this point at 11 o’clock, just after the bridge was finished, and as Osterhau’s division and Grose’s brigade were crossing.

Hooker’s command, now united in the enemy’s field, was ready to advance and sweep around the mountian. His line, hanging at the base of the palisades like a great pendulum, reached down the side of the mountian to the valley, where the force that had just crossed the creek was attached as its weight. Now, as, at the command of Hooker, it swung forward in its upward movement, the artillery of the army, on Moccasin Point, opened fire, throwing a stream of shot and shell into the enemy’s riflepits at the foot of the mountian, and into the works thickly planted on the "White House" plateau. At the same time the guns planted by Hooker on the west side of the creek opened on the works which covered the enemy’s right. Then followed a gallant assault by Osterhaus and Grose. After fighting for nearly two hours, step by step up the steep mountian side, over and through deep gullies and ravines, over great rocks and fallen trees, the earthworks on the plateau were assulted and carried, and the enemy was driven out and forced to fall back. He did so slowly and reluctantly, taking advantage of the rought ground to continue the fight.

It was now 2 o’clock. A halt all along the line was ordered by General Hooker, as the clouds had grown so thick that further advance was impracticable, and as ammunition was almost exhausted and more could not well be brought up the mountian. But all the enemy’s works had been taken. Hooker had carried the mountian on the east side, had opened communications with Chattanooga, and he commanded the enemy’s line of defensive works in Chattanooga Valley.

At 2 o’clock Hooker reported to Thomas and informed him that he was out of ammunition. Thomas at once sent Carlin’s brigade from the valley, each soldier taking with him all the ammunition he could carry. At 5 o’clock Carlin was on the mountian, and Hooker’s skirmishers were quickly resupplied. And so ended this great battle "fought about the clouds".

The 4th Iowa showed great gallantry in this attack. It was the first to place its banner on the point of Lookout Mountain and General Butterfield, who was General Hooker's chief of staff, stated to General Dodge and Williamson that he knew personally it was the first regiment to reach the top of Lookout. From the reports from the regiment and from the reports of other officers it was Williamson's bridge of Osterhaus' division of the 15th Army Corps which was the first to reach and take the point of Lookout Mountain.

Following report was written by George Burton, Lt Col., Commanding 4th Iowa Infantry:

"HEADQUARTERS FOURTH IOWA INFANTRY
Lookout Mountain, Nov. 25, 1863

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that, agreeably to your order, about 7 a.m. of yesterday the 4th Iowa Infantry moved forward and took a position on a hill immediately in front of Lookout Mountain, and near the Tennessee River, supporting the 1st Ohio Battery [Battery K, 1st Ohio Artillery] there planted.

About 11 o'clock, when the engagement became spirited on the right by the personal order of BrigGen. Osterhaus, I sent forward 50 of my regiment as skirmishers, under command of Maj. Nichols, to the bank of the creek skirting the base of the mountain near the river, and engaged the attention of the enemy at that point. I also shortly afterward, by further direction of Gen. Osterhaus, moved the regiment down the hill in advance of the battery, sustaining and relieving.

About 4 p.m. I received an order from Colonel -------, on the staff of MajGen. Hooker,

to report forthwith with the regiment to BrigGen. Geary, commanding [2nd] Division, [XII] Corps.

I thereupon crossed the creek, and under the direction of Gen. Geary, arrived and ascended the mountain, reaching a position assigned us near the cliffs about dark, and awaited orders. Soon afterward I relieved the 24th [?] Ohio Infantry., who represented themselves as out of ammunition. Here our right rested on the base of the cliffs connecting onto the left of the 36th Indiana, on line extending directly down the mountain, our left joining at right angles the right of the 31st Iowa. While here the regiment assisted materially by its enfilading fire in repulsing two charges of the enemy, and must certainly have inflicted upon them a severe loss.

About 1 a.m. of to-day we were relieved by the 7th Ohio. Too much praise cannot be awarded both officers and men for the coolness, promptness, and firmness with which they advanced to and held the various positions assigned them, in nearly every case under a heavy fire. Our loss in the day’s engagement was one killed and six wounded."

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